Forks Over Knives: Movie Review- PART TWO

One thing is clear....no matter what diet you eat, most health experts agree, real foods and less toxins are really important. However, there are some areas that they do disagree on that I will list below. I would also like to say that I personally respect the morals and values that a vegan/vegetarian uphold. Their dedication to animals is inspiring. Here is the opposition to a plant based diet:

Expert #1: Kelly Genzilger, C.N.C., C.M.T.A & Katherine Erlich, M.D., authors of Super Nutrition for Babies. Kelly and Dr. Erlich are Lana's nutritionist and pediatrician. They have been personal guides to me through Lana's recent health issue. Here's what they have to say:

"Over the last 10 years that I have researched food and nutrients - and I have conclusively found that the truth is found in traditional foods. No traditionally vegetarian or vegan diet can substantiate claims that it is healthier. When you look at instinctual and indigenous eating that includes superior health, animal foods are always part of the diet. There are many nutrients that are in a bio-available form only in animal foods, and other nutrients that are simply *only* found in animal foods. Actually, I wanted this addressed in Super Nutrition for Babies, since this is such a confusing area of trying to optimize health through nutrition. Additionally, though, when considering the "healthiness'' of animal foods, one must consider what those animals ate and how they were raised. Pigs will yield lard very rich in vitamin D if they are allowed to forage outside. Eggs will have as much Omega-3 as salmon, if the chickens are allowed to peck and eat bugs and wild greens outside. Factory-farming - which yields our common animal foods - is partly why animal foods are now maligned. Steaks from confined cows will be rich in the inflammatory Omega-6 fats - bad for arteries - because their diet is not clover and grass as it should be, but is soy and corn "feed". Finally, a diet free of all animal foods is very high in carbohydrates, and there are myriad issues with high-carb diets - particularly if they include too much fruit, juice, grains, and sugar - which they inevitably do - leading to insulin problems, heart disease, sugar addiction, and obesity."

From page 48 of their new book:
Diets free of animal foods, include low levels of , or less available, nutrients of the following:
1. Vitamin D and A (fat-soluble activators) resulting in poor mineral usage.
2. Body-ready essential fatty acids (AA, EPA, and DHA) Necessary for brain and cognitive development, immune support, and anti-inflammation.
3. CoQ10
4. Cholesterol (necessary for brain development and cellular communication)
5. Body-ready B6
6. B12
7. Body-ready zinc and iron
8. Amino acids

"Several researchers have found that animal foods are so important in ensuring proper growth and height, strength, and intelligence in children..."

2. Expert #2: From my friend/super smart cousin, Kelly Scanlon, C.N. :)

"As far as veganism goes, while I do believe some of their message is important (stay away from processed meats/foods/box meals/fake foods- and to focus more on fresh foods/veg/fruits etc) I do not think it is a healthful way of eating long term. It is a modern diet, as without modern help, a vegan would not be able to survive (B12 from animal foods)…there are no traditional vegan diets so vegans rely on supplements and fortified foods (something that was not available in a traditional diet, but with more modern diets). I also think an over emphasis on grains, beans, starches can be very tough on the GI tract. PLANT EMPHASIZED diets are crucial…but does that mean we all need to be vegans? In my opinion, no. People are not dying of heart disease because of animal meat, they are dying because they abuse their bodies with the quality and quantity of foods they eat. A vegan diet, to me, is not the answer to high blood pressure and diabetes. But eating modest amounts of QUALITY animal protein along with plants I believe is the key. I also believe people should pay more attention to what their blood sugar is doing, than whether they had some grass fed beef. NOW, keep in mind, there are many situations where people have abused their bodies to the point where they have serious food intolerances and GOING VEGAN makes them feel incredibly better, because they are removing the most common protein offenders. But, to me, this just gives further evidence that we should be paying MORE attention to how we digest our food and the condition of our GI tract, than smacking a label down and saying “you will all die if you do not eat vegan”.

3. Expert #3: Angelle, Holistic Health Coach from Nourish MD.

"Basically there isn’t a culture that has sustained

a vegan diet over generations that I’m aware of.

And, in our research we’ve found there

are some issues with fertility for vegetarians.

As far as animal products, the issue is the quality of the animal products -

pasture raised, free range, etc. Those animals

have very healthy nutritional value.

There is also the issue of metabolic typing – I am

a protein type and I oxidize/digest food

quickly and I have a dominant parasympathetic

nervous system – I do much better with animal

products than without. Some people can do better

with less than me, but that doesn’t mean they

don’t benefit from some. Basically vegan

diets are a bit of an experiment – I say

if you want to do it as an adult, go for it, but eat REAL

and don’t get into all the fake foods made with soy.

Going vegan with a child is a bit risky in my opinion, based

on the reading I’ve done. They get so many nutrient-dense

foods when they eat high quality animal products."

Keep in mind these statements come from four like-minded adults. However, these four individuals are highly educated and dedicate their life to healthy living. Watch Forks Over Knives and do your homework. Use your knowledge, values, and intuition to make the best decision for your family. Best of luck!!!!!